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Stellar Empire
The traditional term of empire applied to starfaring states. Due to the difficulty of maintaining a single, direct-rule unified state across the light-years, a Stellar Empire is an extremely loose term, referring to a case where the astral territory is ruled over by a single entity. This entity can be a planet or a being. Another term, used interchangeably, is stellar enterprise. Most any polity which has control over multiple star systems can be called a stellar empire or enterprise. The term stellar empire often but does not necessarily refer to a single species. In fact, one starfaring species can (and usually is) be made up of dozens of entities which on their own could be called stellar empires. There is no negative connotation attached to the word 'empire' in this context. Types of empires Every empire falls in one of three main archetypes that characterize its behavior. The Empire of Conquest The simplest kind of empire. It is bent on the conquest and/or subjugation of aliens. As it expands in this manner, its military resources also expand, thus allowing it to swallow up stronger entities and project more power. While the easiest kind of empire to establish, they also tend to be the quickest to die, sometimes flowering and withering in less than a century. Exceptions apply. The Triple Alliance endured for thousands of years. Empires of conquest are generally seen as malevolent and, by some standards, "evil" but in many cases one will find that the empire in question feels their conquests justified in one way or another. The Empire of Commerce An empire centered around the acquisition of resources and trade. Military power is not used to conquer enemies but rather to enforce domination of their economy and usurp resources generated there. Considerable military strength is also generally used to protect these trade interests and interdict those of competitors. Direct expansion is often done through colonizing virgin planets as opposed to conquering settled ones. The most prominent example of the Human Domain itself. The Empire of Trust An empire that didn't want to be an empire, and that's exactly why it gets one. Controls a network of alliances, made in the interests of security, and is sworn to honor them at all costs. However, as the horizon of alliances expands, so does the military commitments the empire must undertake to defend the new alliance members. Military force is not exerted to conquer or dominate opponents but rather to turn foes into friends. As more enemies are made into friends, the horizons of the empire expand yet again. The Sanhakas Federation is one of the most influential such empires, but the Ancient Madapari themselves also were one. Empires of trust can be seen as the opposite of those of conquest. They are, in contrast, the most complex type of empire to build, but also the longest-lasting in general. In addition, all empires of trust are benevolent - in fact, it's a necessary requirement for such an empire to exist at all. Others 'trust' them to be so. Philosophy Traveling between the stars is the final evolution of any civilized species. It is necessary for the most practical reason imaginable: staying alive. A civilization can only sustain itself on the resources of one planet for so long before it reaches critical mass. In addition, any one planet is a ticking timebomb of natural or cosmic catastrophe. Just ask the Desan. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, many cultures romanticize space travel, at least at first. Category:Stellar Empires